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Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi: Who is the greatest? Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher disagree on Monday Night Football Gary Neville made the case for Cristiano Ronaldo to be seen as the greatest player of all time but Jamie Carragher argued for Lionel Messi on Monday Night Football. By Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher, Monday 13 September 2021 23:39, UK Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher disagree on whether Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi should be seen as the greatest player of all time. Ronaldo's scoring return to the Premier League has sparked renewed debate about his standing in football history and Neville posed an intriguing question to help provide the answer on Monday Night Football. "If you were a manager and you could pick any player in history to come off the bench at their peak to win you a game and you only had one substitution left, who would it be? "It would be Cristiano Ronaldo," said Neville. "It would absolutely be Cristiano Ronaldo. "I looked at his goal breakdown. He can score with his left foot, his wrong foot. He can score with his right foot. He can score from distance. He is probably the best poacher now in world football. "He can score penalties. And if you stick him in the box and hang it up there he will go and score with a header. He might even score with a free-kick. "So if you think about who is the greatest player of all time, I do think he is the greatest football player who has ever lived. He is the player who could win me a football match in the most different ways. He is the most complete player." That opinion will doubtless upset fans of Ronaldo's great rival but Neville elaborated on his explanation as to why his former team-mate is ahead of Messi. "There is no doubt that Messi has scored an obscene amount of goals, he is a ridiculous player," added Neville. "But Ronaldo, the three big differences are the headers, that Ronaldo has scored four or five times more, the wrong-footed goals, that Ronaldo has scored 30 or 40 per cent more, and he has scored more penalties. "It just took me to the point where he is more complete. "The international goals, the Champions League wins, in teams that were not as good as the teams that Messi played in, just takes me to the point where I think he is the greatest player of all time." Jamie Carragher strongly disagreed. "You are talking about the different types of goals," Carragher told Monday Night Football. "It does not matter how a ball goes in the net. It does not matter if one is a header or a free-kick. Messi has a better goal record than Ronaldo. "Messi is also a playmaker. Messi can run a game. Ronaldo cannot do that. Again, not a criticism. But there is no way in the world he is the greatest player of all time. "You talk about who you would want coming off the bench. Messi has scored double the amount of goals coming off the bench. It is a ridiculous thing to say. It does not matter if Messi's goals all come with his left foot, the stats prove he has more chance of scoring. "Two wonderful players. In terms of all the attributes, Ronaldo is a more complete player. He can do things that Messi can't in terms of his weaker foot and in the air. "But Messi can take you to a place where you can't actually believe what you are seeing. What Ronaldo does is what other players can do, Messi can do things you have never seen before." #CristianoRonaldo #LionelMessi #GaryNeville #JamieCarragher #MondayNightFootball Source: https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/12407308/cristiano-ronaldo-or-lionel-messi-who-is-the-greatest-gary-neville-and-jamie-carragher-disagree-on-monday-night-football Subscribe this channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAiGbL29m6PCRcVo2vI9lWQ?sub_confirmation=1 Follow me: Facebook: https://facebook.com/tonowelas Instagram: https://instagram.com/tonowelas Twitter: https://twitter.com/tonowelas Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/tonowelas TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@tonowelas

Manchester United vs Newcastle - LIVE! Cristiano Ronaldo is back! The Portuguese legend rolled back the clock with two goals on his second Manchester United debut in a 4-1 win against Newcastle. The 36-year-old returned to Old Trafford 12 years after leaving for Real Madrid and proved he is still a match-winner of the highest quality. He will face tougher tests than Steve Bruce’s side – but this felt like a statement from the forward of what the Premier League can expect from his second-coming. He is not the flying winger he once was. He is now the consummate poached and he needed only two sights at goal to make Newcastle pay. Old Trafford erupted as he fired United ahead in first half stoppage time when Mason Greewood’s strike was fumbled by Freddie Woodman. It was not a classic – but it was the type of goal United do not score often enough, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer often bemoaning the lack of desire from Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford to gamble in the six-yard box. Newcastle momentarily stunned the home crowd when Javier Manquillo levelled on 56 mintues – but it was Ronaldo who restored United’s lead. Luke Shaw’s run and lay off gave Ronaldo the chance to strike from just inside the box and he powered an effort through the legs of Woodman after 62 minutes. Bruno Fernandes scored the goal of the game with a 25-yarder with 10 minutes to and substitute Jesse Lingard rounded off the scoring in stoppage time. #CristianoRonaldo #ManchesterUnited #NewcastleUnited Source: https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/manchester-united-4-newcastle-1-cristiano-ronaldo-two-goals-b954373.html Subscribe this channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAiGbL29m6PCRcVo2vI9lWQ?sub_confirmation=1 Follow me: Facebook: https://facebook.com/tonowelas Instagram: https://instagram.com/tonowelas Twitter: https://twitter.com/tonowelas Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/tonowelas TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@tonowelas

Sir Alex Ferguson has finally revealed the role he played in bringing Cristiano Ronaldo back to Manchester United and preventing him from joining local rivals Manchester City. The 36-year-old appeared to be on the verge of joining the reigning Premier League champions during the closing stages of the summer transfer window having decided to leave Juventus. City were said to have agreed personal terms with the five-times Ballon d’Or winner but the intervention of Ferguson and a series of United legends ultimately swayed him into making an emotional return after a 12-year absence. Speaking ahead of Ronaldo’s second debut for United against Newcastle on Saturday, Ferguson admitted the overriding emotion was one of relief once United got the deal over the line. He told Viaplay: ‘I’m exited like everyone else, there was anticipation all day yesterday and waking up in the morning. I speak for all supporters it’s a great day for Man Utd. ‘A lot of people played their part (in bringing Ronaldo back) and I contributed knowing that really Cristiano wanted to come here and that was important. ‘It worked very well. ‘I wouldn’t say it’s emotional but it’s exciting for me and relief because I couldn’t imagine him playing for Man City, I don’t think anyone could. ‘That’s why we took steps to make sure he came here and the club then followed in very well and I spoke to the Glazers and it was done. ‘I think he will make an impact on the young players in particular, he’s got the experience to handle the occasion.’ #SirAlexFerguson #CristianoRonaldo #ManchesterUnited Source: https://metro.co.uk/2021/09/11/alex-ferguson-finally-breaks-silence-on-his-role-in-cristiano-ronaldos-return-15243537/ Subscribe this channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAiGbL29m6PCRcVo2vI9lWQ?sub_confirmation=1 Follow me: Facebook: https://facebook.com/tonowelas Instagram: https://instagram.com/tonowelas Twitter: https://twitter.com/tonowelas Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/tonowelas TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@tonowelas

Lionel Messi's hat-trick for Argentina saw him match and subsequently eclipse Pele's long standing record as the top scorer in men's South American international football history By Ben Husband, Digital Sports Writer - 08:21, 10 Sep 2021 Lionel Messi’s tears arguably produced the most memorable moment of the summer window, when the Barcelona legend issued an emotional Camp Nou farewell. And the 34-year-old let the tears flow again after he was finally able to toast his Copa America success in front of supporters. Messi ended his long, long wait for South America’s biggest prize when Argentina beat Brazil to win the tournament earlier this summer. His hat-trick against Bolivia on Thursday also saw him break Pele’s long-standing record as the continent’s top scorer in men’s international football. A week after Cristiano Ronaldo broke the world record for men’s football, his old rival put his own name in the history books, first matching and then overtaking the Brazilian legend. Messi started the evening one goal behind Pele, but scored his 77th, 78th and 79th strikes during the 3-0 victory in Buenos Aires saw him become the standalone record holder. In an emotional post-match interview, Messi said: "I was very nervous, I just wanted to enjoy the night. I waited a long time for this. Following the victory, the forward paraded around the stadium with the Copa America trophy, enjoying the moment with the 21,000 supporters in attendance. "It was a unique moment [to win the Copa America] because of where and how we obtained the title," Messi said. "There was no better way to do it and been able to celebrate the title now, it's incredible. My mother, my brothers are here in the stands. They have suffered a lot ... I'm very happy." He then posted on Instagram : "I dreamed about this day a lot and thanks to God it arrived. "I don't have words to thank you for all the love I've received. What a beautiful night, I enjoyed it so much - unforgettable.” Messi is still some way behind Brazilian duo Marta and Cristane, who have scored 109 and 96 times respectively, in the race to become the highest scoring South American player of all time. Neymar is only 10 goals behind Messi and has five years on his former Barcelona teammate, with all signs pointing towards him eventually taking the record. Argentina are second behind Brazil in the race for World Cup qualification from South America, six points behind the Selecao having played eight fixtures. FIFA are still investigating the bizarre conclusion of the game between the two rivals, which was abandoned after less than ten minutes last weekend. The game was cancelled in the opening minutes when police and health officials made their way onto the pitch, demanding that the Premier League-based players in the Argentina side were put into quarantine. #LionelMessi #Pele #MessiRecord Source: https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/lionel-messi-breaks-pele-record-24952149 Subscribe this channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAiGbL29m6PCRcVo2vI9lWQ?sub_confirmation=1 Follow me: Facebook: https://facebook.com/tonowelas Instagram: https://instagram.com/tonowelas Twitter: https://twitter.com/tonowelas Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/tonowelas TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@tonowelas

Cristiano Ronaldo was reunited with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in his first visit back at Manchester United’s training ground and took part in a session with his new teammates on Tuesday. The 36-year-old completed his surprise return from Juventus before the international break but has been in quarantine after arriving with his family in Manchester last Thursday. Ronaldo made his return to United’s training base on Tuesday and met with Solskjaer, who he played alongside during his first stint at Old Trafford. Ronaldo also met some of his new United teammates who are not representing their national sides during the international break and took part in a light session. In a brief video released by United, Ronaldo was seen walking to the training session alongside Juan Mata. ‘Cristiano met with boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, his former team-mate, in the manager’s office before being introduced to the players who are currently hard at work in training,’ read a statement from United. ‘The spectacular signing from Juventus joined the session with his colleagues and wasted no time in getting acquainted with the group.’ Ronaldo is available to make his debut when the Premier League returns this weekend as United host Newcastle at Old Trafford. ‘Manchester United is a club that has always had a special place in my heart, and I have been overwhelmed by all the messages I have received since the announcement on Friday,’ Ronaldo said after completing his move back to United. ‘I cannot wait to play at Old Trafford in front of a full stadium and see all the fans again.’ United had a stellar transfer window this summer with the additions of Ronaldo, England winger Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund and experienced centre-back Raphael Varane, a former teammate of the Portugal International at Real Madrid. The Red Devils have started the season in good form with two wins and a draw from their opening three Premier League games and will be looking to build on that in the coming weeks in both the league and in Europe. With several key players still away on international duty, Ronaldo will meet more of his new teammates in the coming days. Aden-Jay Wood, Tuesday 7 Sep 2021 3:55 pm #CristianoRonaldo #OleGunnarSolskjaer #ManchesterUnited Source: https://metro.co.uk/2021/09/07/cristiano-ronaldo-reunites-with-ole-gunnar-solskjaer-and-joins-man-utd-training-session-15220782/ Subscribe this channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAiGbL29m6PCRcVo2vI9lWQ?sub_confirmation=1 Follow me: Facebook: https://facebook.com/tonowelas Instagram: https://instagram.com/tonowelas Twitter: https://twitter.com/tonowelas Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/tonowelas TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@tonowelas

Cristiano Ronaldo: Manchester United signing to wear No 7 shirt again for club as Edinson Cavani takes No 21 shirt Cristiano Ronaldo to wear iconic No 7 shirt again at Manchester United; Ronaldo reclaims number from Edinson Cavani who takes No 21 shirt vacated by Daniel James; Ronaldo said: "I would like to say a huge thank you to Edi (Cavani) for this incredible gesture." Cristiano Ronaldo will wear the No 7 shirt again at Manchester United after the club was granted dispensation by the Premier League to allocate him the number. Ronaldo re-signed for United on Deadline Day from Juventus on a two-year contract, with the option to extend for another year. The Portuguese forward famously wore the No 7 shirt in his first spell at United, but there were concerns he may not have been able to wear that number this season with Edinson Cavani occupying the jersey. However, with the departure of Daniel James to Leeds on Deadline Day, United have been given permission by the Premier League for Cavani to take James' vacant No 21 shirt, with Ronaldo reclaiming the No 7 shirt from Cavani. Ronaldo said: "I wasn't sure if it would be possible to have the number seven shirt again. So I would like to say a huge thank you to Edi (Cavani) for this incredible gesture." United's announcement came hours after Ronaldo was released early from the Portugal squad after picking up a suspension. The 36-year-old scored a world record 110th international goal as he fired Portugal to a dramatic victory over the Republic of Ireland in Wednesday's World Cup Qualifier. Ronaldo's record goal cancelled out John Egan's opener with just a minute remaining at the Estadio Algarve, and he then completed the job with his 111th in stoppage time to seal a 2-1 win. But after removing his shirt in celebration he was cautioned by Slovenian referee Matej Jug and, having been booked earlier in the campaign, is suspended for Tuesday night's trip to Azerbaijan. A statement on the Portuguese Football Federation's official website said: "Cristiano Ronaldo was excused from the stage of the national team this Thursday. "The yellow card seen against Ireland, being the second in this stage of qualification, forces him to fulfil an official game of suspension, which will happen against Azerbaijan." Ronaldo's release means he will also miss Saturday's friendly against World Cup hosts Qatar in Hungary, although there is no indication as yet as to when he will join up with United. Ronaldo: I'm so happy to be home Ronaldo has expressed his delight to be back "home" at United and is hungry to create more history with the club. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner's return to Old Trafford was made official on Tuesday morning, as he signed a two-year deal with the option to extend for a further year. Ronaldo scored a total of 551 club goals across spells at Real Madrid and Juventus after leaving United in 2009, and in an interview with the club, the 36-year-old said it is now the right moment for him to return. Ronaldo told the official Manchester United website: "I have a fantastic history with this amazing club. I was there at 18 years old and of course I'm so happy to be back home after 12 years. So I'm really glad and looking forward to starting my first game. "I think it's the best decision that I have made. It's right on point in my opinion. "I moved from Juve now to Manchester, it's a new chapter, I'm so happy and glad, and I want to carry on again, to make history, to try to help Manchester achieve great results, to win trophies and number one of them, to win great things." How to follow Ronaldo's second Man Utd debut Manchester United host Newcastle in the Premier League on Saturday September 11 (3pm kick-off). #CristianoRonaldo #EdinsonCavani #ShirtNumberSeven #ManUtd Source: https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11667/12396478/cristiano-ronaldo-manchester-united-signing-to-wear-no-7-shirt-again-for-club-as-edinson-cavani-takes-no-21-shirt Subscribe this channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAiGbL29m6PCRcVo2vI9lWQ?sub_confirmation=1 Follow me: Facebook: https://facebook.com/tonowelas Instagram: https://instagram.com/tonowelas Twitter: https://twitter.com/tonowelas Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/tonowelas TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@tonowelas

Cristiano Ronaldo: Manchester United forward to wear number seven Cristiano Ronaldo will wear the number seven shirt for Manchester United, the club has confirmed. The 36-year-old takes the number, which he wore in his first stint at Old Trafford, from Uruguay striker Edinson Cavani - who moves to number 21. Ronaldo will begin training with the Reds when he has completed five days isolation. On Thursday, he was released early from international duty by Portugal because of suspension. "I wasn't sure if it would be possible to have the number seven shirt again, so I would like to say a huge thank you to Edi [Cavani] for this incredible gesture," Ronaldo said. "The Portuguese superstar famously wore the legendary shirt number during his first spell at United and we can now confirm that Ronaldo will have it on his back once again," United said on their website. Ronaldo completed a shock move back to Old Trafford on transfer deadline day and is in line to make his second debut for the Red Devils against Newcastle in the Premier League on Saturday, 11 September. Ronaldo became the all-time leading men's international goalscorer with two goals against the Republic of Ireland on Tuesday, but was booked by the referee for removing his shirt. Ronaldo scored two late headers to take his tally to 111 for Portugal, surpassing the record previously held by Ali Daei, who scored 109 goals for Iran between 1993 and 2006. #CristianoRonaldo #ShirtNo7 #ManUtd #ManchesterUnited Source: https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/58426526 Subscribe this channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAiGbL29m6PCRcVo2vI9lWQ?sub_confirmation=1 Follow me: Facebook: https://facebook.com/tonowelas Instagram: https://instagram.com/tonowelas Twitter: https://twitter.com/tonowelas Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/tonowelas TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@tonowelas

Cristiano Ronaldo becomes all-time leading international scorer with his 110th and 111th goals for Portugal Cristiano Ronaldo is now the leading international scorer in football history after his equaliser for Portugal against Republic of Ireland took him past Iran's Ali Daei. A day after officially completing his dream return to Manchester United from Juventus, the legendary 36-year-old reached yet another historic milestone - his 110th international goal with a late equaliser against the Republic of Ireland - on his 180 appearance during a World Cup qualifier at Estádio Algarve. It overtakes Daei's tally of 109, the previous record-holder since 2004. And to top it off, he then nodded in the winner with the last touch of the game to move on to 111 goals, giving him a healthy two-goal lead at the top of the outright table - and Portugal three precious points. His last 50 goals have been scored in 48 matches - the last European player with 50+ international goals to their name who managed one+ per game was Germany's Gerd Muller (68 in 62). Ronaldo, who scored his first international goal as a 19-year-old back at Euro 2004 following his maiden season at Old Trafford, is 35 ahead of his closest active challengers at the top of the charts - his all-time rival Lionel Messi (76 goals from 151 games) and the much lesser known UAE striker Ali Mabkhout (76 goals in 92 games). Ronaldo is only the fifth player in history to earn the accolade of being the leading scorer at this level since the 50-goal barrier was first broken by Hungary's Imre Schlosser way back in 1917, with the other record holders being Ferenc Puskas (1953-1980), Mokhtar Dahari (1980-2004) and Daei (2004-2021). The Portugal captain's latest achievement in a remarkable career comes just two months after winning the Euro 2020 Golden Boot award with five goals - a campaign which saw him surpass Michel Platini as the all-time European Championship scorer with 14 goals. Ronaldo, who has incredibly scored in five successive European Championships since his debut in 2004 and nine consecutive major tournaments having struck in each of his four World Cups, has also bagged more goals than anyone else in both major tournaments combined with 21. The previous record holder was Miroslav Klose with 19, including 16 at World Cups. Whereas the endless GOAT debate surrounding Ronaldo and Messi will always been passionately fought by football fans around the world, few can dispute who deserves that status on the international stage from a statistical, goals and achievements perspectives. Not only has Ronaldo boast a superior ratio of 0.61 goals per game compared to Messi's 0.5, but he also has guided his nation to a pair of trophies - Euro 2016 and the inaugural Nations League in 2018. The latter trophy lacks historic importance, of course, so Messi's supporters will say his maiden trophy with Argentina at this summer's Copa America - where he also won the Golden Boot with four goals - puts him on a par from that perspective, although you could argue his nation's stature in South America should have warranted more during his career. For club and country overall, Ronaldo has scored most career goals with 784 from 1075 games since 2002 compared with Messi's 748 (930 games since 2004) which means they are just two of seven men to have broken the 700-goal barrier alongside Josef Bican (805 from 530+), Romario (772 from 994), Pele (767 from 831), Ferenc Puskas (746 from 754) and Gerd Muller (734 from 793). Pele's official competitive tally of 767 in 831 games is some way below his Guinness World Record mark of 1,281 in 1,363 matches which includes many friendlies for Santos while Bican's tally is often disputed due to lack of reliable records from the period in his career that was interrupted by World War II. Nevertheless, there is no questioning the numbers Ronaldo and Messi have stacked up even if they seem from another planet. Although Ronaldo's goals per game ratio at international level is superior to Messi (0.61 v 0.5), it hasn't been enough to bridge the gap in their overall careers, with the former Barcelona star's astonishing 0.86 at club level over 778 games brings his up 0.80, with his counterpart back on 0.73 (0.75 club). However, it's important to mention how both players have recorded almost identical ratios of insane proportions since becoming goalscoring talismans in their respective careers. #CristianoRonaldo #BreaksGoalsRecord #RecordBreaking Source: https://www.sportinglife.com/football/news/cristiano-ronaldo-becomes-all-time-leading-international-scorer-with-his-110th-and-111th-goals-for-portugal/194277 Subscribe this channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAiGbL29m6PCRcVo2vI9lWQ?sub_confirmation=1 Follow me: Facebook: https://facebook.com/tonowelas Instagram: https://instagram.com/tonowelas Twitter: https://twitter.com/tonowelas Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/tonowelas TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@tonowelas

The Portuguese has revealed that he was in regular contact with his former manager before deciding to head back to Old Trafford from Juventus Cristiano Ronaldo has confirmed that Sir Alex Ferguson played a key role in his return to Manchester United while describing his old mentor as "an unbelievable person". Ronaldo inspired United to three Premier League titles and the Champions League in his first spell at the club between 2003 and 2009 under Ferguson, scoring 118 goals in 292 games. The Portuguese went on to enjoy even greater success at Real Madrid before joining Juventus in 2018, and after three years in Turin he has decided to head back to Old Trafford, with his former manager giving him a slight nudge in the Red Devils' direction. What's been said? Ronaldo has opened up on his relationship with Ferguson, revealing that they have kept in regular contact throughout the last decade. “As everybody knows, since I signed for Manchester [United] at 18, Sir Alex Ferguson was the key," the 36-year-old told MUTV . "I remember when we played against Manchester when I was at Sporting Lisbon. "For me, Sir Alex Ferguson is like a father in football for me. He helped me a lot, he taught me many things, and in my opinion, of course, he had a big role because of the relationship that we had, we keep in touch all the time, and he’s an unbelievable person. "I really like him a lot and he was the main key for me to be in the position that I am, that I signed for Manchester United.” Ronaldo on Solskjaer Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is the man who will be coaching Ronaldo in Manchester this time around, and the five-time Ballon d'Or winner is looking forward to working with his ex-team-mate again as they bid to usher in a new era of success at the club. Asked if he has had a chance to speak to Solskjaer yet, the Portugal international replied: “Well, we had a chat, but of course I’m going to have time to speak with him face to face, to know what he expects. As you know, I played with him for two or three years at Manchester United so I have a good relationship with him but now with a different role, I’m a player and he’s a coach. "But it doesn’t matter, my relationship with him is great and as I say before, I’m there in Manchester to help the team achieve his results and the coach can count on me for whatever he wants. So I’m available for everything.” Ronaldo ready to open a new chapter Ronaldo went on to insist that now was the right time for him to cut short his stint with Juventus and retrace his steps, with the veteran striker now eager to deliver more silverware to an expectant fanbase at the Theatre of Dreams. “I think it’s the best decision now that I have made it. It’s right on point in my opinion," he added. "I moved from Juve now to Manchester, it’s a new chapter, I’m so happy and glad, and I want to carry on again, to make history, to try to help Manchester achieve great results, to win trophies and number one of them, to win great things. "I have a fantastic history with this amazing club. I was there at 18 years old and of course, I’m so happy to be back home after 12 years. So I’m really glad and looking forward to start my first game." #CristianoRonaldo #SirAlexFerguson #ManchesterUnited #Solskjaer Source: https://www.goal.com/en/news/ronaldo-confirms-sir-alex-ferguson-was-key-to-manchester/rf34zkn1b5091ts20q3n6tsuc Subscribe this channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAiGbL29m6PCRcVo2vI9lWQ?sub_confirmation=1 Follow me: Facebook: https://facebook.com/tonowelas Instagram: https://instagram.com/tonowelas Twitter: https://twitter.com/tonowelas Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/tonowelas TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@tonowelas

For around 48 hours it seemed that the Portugal star was on his way to the Etihad Stadium, so how did he instead end up at Manchester United? Too old, too expensive and a bad fit. And yet. somehow, Cristiano Ronaldo very nearly ended up as a Manchester City player. In the space of a crazy 48 hours, the Portugal international first appeared to be on the verge of a move to the Etihad Stadium, only for neighbours Manchester United to nip in on Friday and instead bring Ronaldo back to Old Trafford. But how close did Pep Guardiola really come to adding the five-time Ballon d'Or winner to his squad? Sources have told Goal that Ronaldo had actually first been offered to City earlier in the window, with super-agent Jorge Mendes having spent the summer trying to find a club for his client after the 36-year-old made it clear that he wanted out of Juventus. Mendes is understood to have approached some of Europe’s biggest clubs - including both Manchester sides - in a bid to find a suitor who could offer Ronaldo both the ambition and salary he required, but no teams were forthcoming with offers. City, for their part, were clearly in the market for a forward following the departure of club-record goal scorer Sergio Aguero on a free transfer to Barcelona. But, as has been clear all summer, it was Tottenham striker Harry Kane who was identified as the top target early in the window, with the England international also keen on moving to the Premier League champions. However, extricating Kane from Spurs proved difficult as the transfer saga rumbled on through the summer. Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy insisted the striker was not for sale, and six days before the transfer deadline, Kane admitted defeat and committed his future to the north London outfit. With Kane off the table, Mendes leapt back into action. The Portuguese has good relations with City, with a stable of his clients including Ruben Dias, Ederson, Joao Cancelo and Bernardo Silva all at the club, and he was keen to add Ronaldo to that group. This time, City were more open to negotiating with Ronaldo, particularly after it became clear that he was keen on a move to the club despite having said in the past that he would never play for United's cross-town rivals. Despite some reports that a deal was close to being agreed, the consistent noises coming from the Etihad throughout the whirlwind saga were that an agreement was "unlikely". Juventus wanted £24 million ($34m) for the forward to avoid suffering a capital loss, while City did not want to pay a fee to sign him. United eventually paid an initial £13m ($18m), with further add-ons valued at up to £7m ($9m), to add him to their forward line. While Ronaldo's return to Old Trafford is a romantic one, any agreement between City and Ronaldo would merely have been a marriage of convenience, and there were understood to be concerns on both sides. The ex-Real Madrid star turns 37 in February and therefore could never be considered a long-term signing, while there were issues over how he would fit into the squad too. Off the field, there are few big egos inside the City dressing room, with leaders such as Fernandinho and Dias keen to maintain a balance through the group On the field, Guardiola's success at City has been built around a team ethic, with hard pressing starting with his forwards and running throughout his side. That is partly why he was able to lead City to a Premier League title and to the final of the Champions League last season despite Aguero being missing for much of it. “Off the ball, they have to run like it was the last minute of their life,” the City boss said in his press conference ahead of Saturday's victory over Arsenal. “I don’t like it when I see a player who doesn’t run. I don’t like it at all. “They have to convince me why the other team-mates can run and this guy cannot run. If he convinces me of that and convinces his mates, maybe. If he doesn’t run for the other ones, I don’t understand the theory.” "The guy" that Guardiola spoke of was a purely hypothetical player, although some believed it was a pointed reference towards Ronaldo. His answers had been delivered shortly before 2pm on Friday afternoon, when publicly Ronaldo's next move was still unknown, though it was becoming clearer that a move to United was on the cards. Within half an hour, City confirmed they would not be signing him. #CristianoRonaldo #ManchesterCity #ManchesterUnited Source: https://www.goal.com/en/news/ronaldo-man-city-why-shocking-transfer-never-happened/1ucqnxvgnu08v149cab9rmx9gv Subscribe this channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAiGbL29m6PCRcVo2vI9lWQ?sub_confirmation=1 Follow me: Facebook: https://facebook.com/tonowelas Instagram: https://instagram.com/tonowelas Twitter: https://twitter.com/tonowelas Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/tonowelas TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@tonowelas